Payback
by Ryuko-chan
Summary: Dee, Ryo, and Bikky run into a supernatural menace when they investigate a juvenile rape and murder in an upstate New York Inn. Has the victim returned to take vengeance from beyond the grave?


All right folks. Last night I had a dream about Fake. All through the dream I dreamed I was writing it as a fanfiction and I kept thinking, 'This is the best slash fanfiction I've ever written!' Admittedly, the competition isn't harsh, but still, I was proud of the story in the dream. I'm also proud of this, which is the first half of a fic based on the dream, the last part encompassing most of the dream. The best slash fic I've ever written and I actually wrote it of my own free will! And enjoyed it. I thought, while writing this fic, 'Damn, I wish I was a gay guy.' Now that's a powerful fandom. It sucks me in by proxy!! Anyway, here you guys go..  
  
(Author's note: This is set after the last volume of the manga, because that's where it was set in my dream.)

Payback

by Ryuko-chan

They approached slowly, walking away from the sunset. There was a tall man with dark hair, laden down with all of the group's suitcases and looking very much irritated by it. There was another man, shorter with sandy tan hair, and a foreign-looking face. They were accompanied by a boy… Twelve or thirteen with punk-dyed hair and dark skin. They were being watched.  
  
Suddenly, the bags which were draped over the taller one sagged and dropped heavily to the ground, "Ryooo…" the man whined.  
  
There was a chuckle, "I'm sorry Dee… Those were the terms of our bet. You lose at road bingo, you get to carry the bags.."  
  
"I was driving!" Dee sniped, "You can't play road bingo when you're driving!"  
  
"Right…" said Ryo, smiling and nodding soothingly, "That's why we decided to delegate it to Bikky, right, Bikky?"  
  
The young boy scuffed his shoes on the bath and did his best to look innocent, "Sorry, Dee.. I tried my best, but…" He held up his hands helplessly.  
  
"That's a lie and you know it! You're all against me.." he rolled his head dramatically around and spotted the cabin. His face went slack, "Wow…." He said, his voice low.  
  
Bikky stared, "Ditto…" he mumbled.  
  
The cabin was white, futuristic, and low to the ground. Its windows were rounded and plentiful, covering almost the entirety of the building. It would have been even more beautiful but that the greenery around it was dead or dying. It was circled by browning shrubs and dust where flowers used to be.  
  
"Are we here…?" Ryo said, sounding nervous.  
  
"Of course we are!" shouted Dee, snaking an arm around his shoulder, "This is our special weekend getaway, you know…" His eyebrows rose and fell in a series of complicated "we will have sex" patterns.  
  
Ryo's eyes rolled, effectively nixing that, "Dee…" he said, "You know that's not what we're here for…"  
  
Dee made a face, "Shhh…" he said nervously as a man came out of the building, "Hey!" he called.  
  
"Hello and welcome!" the man said, he was obviously the proprietor of the building, "Welcome to our humble inn. It did have a name at one point, but we inherited it from the previous owners and we want to change it. We have a bowl you're welcome to throw suggestions into."  
  
"Awesome!" Bikky said, taking a running start, "Let's call it something cool, like Demonville or Rock Castle or…" he passed the owner and ran into the building.  
  
The owner clasped his hands together, "My… feisty one isn't he? Brother of yours?" he said to Dee.  
  
Dee shrugged, "Nope. He's our foster kid, I guess." He said.  
  
"Oh…" the owner said, "I see." There was something disquieting about his manner.  
  
"Well… er…" Ryo said pointlessly, trying to blunt the impact of the statement like Dee never did.  
  
"So… are we gonna get our room or what?" he said, sliding his hand from Ryo's arm to his hip and pushing him forward.  
  
"O-of course." The proprietor said, "Jase, get their bags!" he called into the building. A skinny young man of questionable hygiene came out of the building, his greasy locks hanging darkly over his face. He took the bags and hightailed it into the bed-and-breakfast.  
  
"Jase will show you two to your room. The young man will have an attached room." He said, jerking his head toward where Bikky had entered the building.  
  
"Kay." Dee said, nonchalant.  
  
Ryo gave him a sidelong glance as he was led inside by the hand at his waist, "How can you be so blasé…?" he whispered.  
  
Dee ignored him and looked around, "This is a really great place! How long've you guys had it?" he asked.  
  
The owner's voice came from surprisingly close behind them, "Well, I've owned the building for about two years, but I was only able to open back up again about a year and a half ago."  
  
Dee nodded, "You've done a great job." He said with a grin, "Well, me and my SO are going to go check out your room, kay?"  
  
The owner, looking very uncomfortable, nodded.  
  
"Bikky!?" called Dee, searching, his arm still around Ryo.  
  
"Yeah?" said Bikky, poking his head out of his room.  
  
"Be good." Dee said sternly.  
  
Bikky rolled his eyes, "Whatever!" he said, contemptuously. But at the end of his eye roll was a wink.  
  
Dee's eyes flicked to the thick walls framing the door as he closed the door behind him and locked it. "Now's as good a time as any!" he said, grinning and releasing Ryo.  
  
"For unpacking our suitcases?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Nope!" said Dee, rushing forward and pinning Ryo against the wall. He pressed his face against Ryo's, kissing him hungrily.  
  
Ryo melted slightly on the wall, put his arms around his dark-haired partner's waist. Nervously, he broke the kiss, "Dee… This isn't the time or the place."  
  
"Sure it is!" Dee said, and he began raining kisses along his partner's neck. When he reached the ear, he began whispering, "Best way to…" pause for a kiss, "…disguise what we're doing…" kiss, "…able to talk without arousing…" a very long kiss, Dee felt Ryo nibbling the tender flesh below his ear, his knees buckled and he gasped softly, "…suspicion."  
  
Ryo laughed deep in his throat, tentatively returning the kisses to the neck, "So what have we got…?" he asked between two kisses.  
  
"Well…" Dee said, and his low voice sounded somewhat disappointed that his mouth had nothing to do, "I think we're on to them. To me, it seems like the guy who owns the place is the one who likes little boys… I bet the girl went to the greasy kid."  
  
"Oh yeah?" a somewhat distracted kiss, "I'd never have guessed."  
  
"Mmmm… Keep going, you." Dee said, smiling, "I just keep rememberin' something the psych chick told us." He paused to let one of Ryo's kisses send a shiver up his spine, "About the repression, n'all." He quoted her stuck-up voice, "'The culprit could be repressing his latent homosexual tendencies, only allowing them to come out in a markedly unhealthy way.' But then, I guess it's hard for you though, Ryo… Since you know all about repressing homosexual…" Ryo realized his intent at that point and stopped his speech with a hickey that made his partner writhe on his feet. Neverthless he felt the need to finish, he defiantly spat, "..tendencies…"  
  
"Right…" Ryo said, disengaging his lips from Dee's neck, "Well, if that's what your instincts tell you. Mine tell me that there's something monumentally wrong with this place."  
  
"Sure!" Dee said, his hands creeping down towards Ryo's zipper, "It's full of murdering child-rapists!"  
  
Ryo slapped the hands away, "Not that… There's something wrong around here… Like.. Angry spirits."  
  
"Now you're pulling the whole Japanese thing out on me…" Dee said, trying again for the zipper.  
  
"No, that's not it…" Ryo said, his actions reflecting his words, "There's something about this place… something I don't like."  
  
Dee made another attempt at the zipper, saying, "Let's see if we can relax you…"  
  
Ryo caught his grasping fingers and kissed them, "Maybe later. Let's do some work right now."  
  
Dee groaned, "Aww… Work! But I want to play."  
  
"Work first…" Ryo said with a coy smile, "Then play."  
  
They walked out into the common room, Ryo making sure to verify the presence of both men in the inn. "It's just the two of you running this place, right?" Ryo asked.  
  
The innkeeper nodded, though it made little difference for as much as they trusted him.  
  
Ryo gave Bikky's door a furtive glance, but Dee had given him their coded order to lock the doors and not come out until further notice. He was a little worried about Bikky being bored, but he'd brought plenty of comic books and music… He should be fine. He hoped.  
  
Bikky was doing fine. The creepy guys had left him alone and ever since Dee had given him the sign, he had locked both the door into his room and the door adjoining his room to theirs. He was listening to the lame-o radio station he could get up here in the boonies of New York and reading a few of those Japanese comics that Ryo had got him on.  
  
He was just to the part where Luffy started kicking ass when he felt the room's temperature drop a few degrees. He looked up, searching for AC vents.  
  
"Damn. It got cold…" he said, "What the hell was that?"  
  
He felt the cold concentrate at his back, and all of a sudden there was a presence there… Someone was right there behind him! He whirled, his eyes wide. All he saw was a blank wall… But he could still feel it! Disregarding Dee's order, he threw off his headphones, unlocked the door and leapt through it, closing it and leaning against it, panting.  
  
Ryo saw him immediately, "Bikky? What's wrong?" he asked, holding out his arms.  
  
To Dee's surprise, Bikky ran into those arms, seeming genuinely afraid and not just trying to piss him off. "What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
Bikky sniffled, "I… I…" he toughened up, "I saw something." He said.  
  
"Like what?" Dee said, sarcastic.  
  
"Like shut your stupid face, Laetner!!" Bikky said, obviously disturbed.  
  
Dee let up, "Sorry, kid."  
  
The owner stepped up, "I'm sorry, we forgot to inform you, you arrived so late, but lights out is at ten, in just a half-hour. I hope you'll enjoy your stay."  
  
"Right." Dee said, "Sure. We'll just get this tyke off to bed and then hit the hay ourselves. Thanks for the warning!"  
  
"Who you callin' a tyke!" Bikky said as Ryo walked with him into his room.  
  
"I'll meet you in our room." Dee said to Ryo.  
  
Ryo nodded, "Right."  
  
"And you." Dee said to Bikky, who gave him an insolent look, "Behave yourself." He said, giving the code to keep his silent alarm button near. This is the real deal, his voice told Bikky.  
  
Bikky nodded, almost solemn.  
  
Dee rolled his eyes around the room, scoping it out for various pleasures. They'd have to keep themselves awake and busy while the boy was being bait. And what else to do in the dark in the middle of the night but.. you know what! He grinned. The bed was really big and that was great. And if they kept a little bit of light on while they were going.. That huge skylight would look just like a mirror… He wondered if they'd meant for it to be used that way.  
  
The adjoining door opened a crack, "Hey Dee…" Ryo said.  
  
"Come to bed, lover…" Dee said, an animal glint in his eye.  
  
"Ew." Came a voice, all too close. Ryo opened the door, revealing Bikky. "I'm gonna stay with you guys tonight." He said, leaving no room for argument.  
  
Dee raised an eyebrow, "No you're not." He said, deadpan.  
  
"Dee…." Ryo said.  
  
"What do you want me to say? He's going to jeopardize our whole mission." Dee said, "He's the bait, right? Go bait!" he said to Bikky.  
  
"No way!" Bikky said, "There was…" he clammed up, not wanting to seem stupid.  
  
"Dee. Bikky said he saw a ghost." Ryo said.  
  
"Yeah right." Dee said, at the same moment Bikky said, "Did not!" Dee raised an eyebrow, "Looks like we're all square then. Come on….." he patted the bed invitingly.  
  
"I didn't see it…" Bikky said, "But I felt it…" he was so obviously shaken that Dee almost relented.  
  
"Dee…." Ryo said, "Please?"  
  
"Aw dammit! Stop giving me those puppy eyes!" Dee said, "Whatever. Just let him in for all I care."  
  
Ryo motioned for Bikky to follow him in.  
  
(Author's note: This is the point at which the dream kicks in in earnest. I have a vague inkling of some of the stuff that came before this, but this is the part that I remember very clearly.)  
  
"Whoa…" Bikky said, staring up as he walked in, "My room didn't have one of those…" he said, pointing at the expanse of skylight above the bed, "Awesome. And the bed is HUGE! I'm so staying in here with you guys…"  
  
Dee's face twisted in irritation, "I thought you were afraid of the ghosts!!"  
  
Bikky looked sly, "Sure. I mean, that's the reason I'm staying… I'm all afraid. And stuff." He shifted his eyes unconvincingly.  
  
"Yeah, right." Dee said.  
  
"Lay off him, Dee." Ryo said, "I don't he's faking it. Anyway, I'll feel better having him close. This house… There's something wrong with it."  
  
"Yeah, well… Somebody should be in the room just in case the innkeepers decide to try anything during the night! Damnit, I wish we'd brought Carol… She's a hell of a lot ballsier than you are…" he said accusatorially to Bikky.  
  
"Get the hell off me!" Bikky shouted, "Like I'm gonna wait in there for someone to rape me!"  
  
"Shhh!" Ryo said, "We don't know how thin these walls are, or who might be listening outside…"  
  
"They've gotta be soundproof…" Dee said thoughtfully, "Otherwise how could they get to the kids without the parents hearing? Plus, I looked at them before."  
  
"Regardless." Ryo said, "I'd hate for your excellent job keeping our profile low to be wasted."  
  
"Yeah, I guess not." Dee said, abashed. Then he smiled, "You and me have got to be the perfect team…" he said, pulling Ryo into a smiling kiss for a few precious moments before feeling an impact and pain at his back. He broke the kiss and whirled.  
  
"Dude. Ick." Said Bikky pointedly.  
  
"Hey, kid. YOU'RE the one who's intruding here!" Dee said, all fury and indignation.  
  
Ryo smiled, "Let's just get some rest, OK?" He flicked off the lights and there was an amount of shuffling and rearranging.  
  
"I'm sleeping on this end…" Bikky muttered, "But I don't want you guys trying anything while I'm here, because I bet you anything I'll wake up."  
  
"I'll take that bet." Dee said, his leer even sounding through the darkness.  
  
"No you won't!" Ryo said, scandalized but amused.  
  
"Ew." Bikky said again. And then there was a sigh, "I wish Carol were here."  
  
"Well… She's not. Can you blame her? Put her in danger like that again? No way." Dee said, "Besides, seems like they like 'em young…" he said, a cackle in his tone.  
  
"Shut uuup!" Bikky said, obviously still nervous about the whole matter, despite the briefings he'd gone through.  
  
"Make me!" Dee said.  
  
There would have been the makings of a fist fight if Ryo, who was between them, hadn't said softly, "Look… It's raining." He pointed towards the skylight.  
  
The sound of the rain on the skylight, and the faint sight of it impacting the glass became a hum which lulled them all to sleep. Ryo was just getting into that place where his thoughts were reassuringly random when he felt Dee move subtly next to him. "Not right now…" he mumbled. A cold breeze made him draw his blankets up closer, "… almost asleep…."  
  
But Dee was already getting out of bed. Ryo opened his eyes despite himself, "S'matter…?" he asked vaguely.  
  
Dee turned slowly, strangely. He was walking almost like a somnambulist.  
  
"Dee…?" Ryo said, waking up. Something was wrong.  
  
Dee's eyes were open, but they were distressingly blank, and… blue? Ryo woke up completely, "Dee..!?" he said.  
  
There was no answer. Just a hand reaching out and pulling him, forcefully, from the bed. The strength! It was so much more than Dee had ever exerted on him before. His wrist was bent painfully forward, and he stumbled out of the bed.  
  
"Dee, stop it! What's the matter??" But Dee wasn't answering him. He had a feeling that this wasn't normal.. This had something to do with what scared Bikky before, with the presence he'd felt since he entered this building. He concentrated hard on Dee's eyes… There was a vision in his head. A girl… thirteen or fourteen.. Her hair was bobbed and bleached white. She was staring with a blank fury towards him.  
  
"The girl…" he muttered. It was the girl whose picture they'd been shown… The one whose murder and rape, along with her brother's, they were investigating.  
  
"You leave me be…" Dee said. But it was the girl's voice Ryo heard, "He needs to pay…" the girl's voice was filled with a bitter poison.  
  
"I know… We'll make him pay. That's why we're here…" he whispered, looking nervously over at Bikky, but the boy slept soundly, wrapped in his blankets against the growing cold.  
  
"Yes…" the girl said, letting go of Ryo's wrist, "WE will." He could tell by her voice that he wasn't included in that we.  
  
"You must get out of our way…" she said, and with a wave of her hand, the sheet was ripped free of the bed.  
  
A poltergeist… Ryo was nervous now. There was no telling what she could do. Not to mention the power that Dee's body had in her hands. Before he could even think of what to do, he felt his knees lift from the floor. She was lifting HIM. This was one angry spirit. He felt the sheet wrap around him and tighten, pinning his arms and legs to his body. He couldn't move. She turned his body upside down, watching with a twisted and captivated smile. Then she lost interest and turned away as fast as she had come, letting Ryo fall to the ground.  
  
He hit his head, so hard it knocked the sense out of him for a moment, and he lay on the ground, trying to understand the meaning of the sound of heavy footsteps, walking away from him…

Author's Other Note: Sorta long, sorta lame. It gets to be less and less like the series as it goes on. But oh well. By the by, the girl looks like Sarah from El Goonish Shive, if anyone's read it. At least that's what my dream tells me. :) 

I reread this just before I posted it here and it amused the heck out of me. God I love this series. And I know this fic is a lot like the OAV... My mind may have unconsciously mimicked it. After this part in the dream, I woke up, so if/when I write a second chapter I'll be flying by the seat of my pants. WOO!! Anyway... Thanks for reading!


End file.
